Profile of Don Ho on Famous Like Me

Donald Ho Tai Loy (何泰學, pinyin: Hé Tàixué, born August 13, 1930) is a famous Hawaiian musician and entertainer. Ho, of mixed Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kaka'ako but grew up in Kāne'ohe on the windward side of the island of O'ahu. In 1954, Ho entered the United States Air Force and spent time flying fighter jets in both Texas and Hawai'i. Ho left the Air Force in 1960 due to his mother's illness. In 1962, Ho moved from Kāne'ohe to Waikīkī in Honolulu and played at a night club called Duke's, where he caught the attention of record company officials.

Ho released his debut album, Don Ho Show, in 1965 and began to play high profile locations in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and New York. In 1966, he released his second album, a live compilation called Don Ho — Again!, which charted in the early part of 1966. In the fall of 1966, Ho released his most famous song, "Tiny Bubbles", which charted on both the pop and easy listening charts and caused the subsequent Tiny Bubbles LP to reach the album Top 20 for almost a year. Guest appearances on television shows such as The Brady Bunch soon followed. Although his album sales peaked in the late 1960s, he was able to land a television spot on ABC from October 1976 to March 1977 with the Don Ho Show variety program.

Don Ho continues to be a popular concert tour draw. He still performs regularly at the Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel. He also can be seen at the restaurant/night club that he owns called Don Ho's Island Grill in downtown Honolulu near Aloha Tower.

Ho's daughter, Hoku, performed with her father in his Waikīkī show and later went on to become a nationally known recording artist in her own right.

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